Will Heffernan
Mary Poppins is back and hasn’t changed one bit! Besides the actors. This sequel (not a remake), is the best thing Disney has done in a long time, due to all the remakes that Disney has been doing lately.
Even though at times it did feel like a remake, it still felt new and fresh. They did keep Admiral Boom’s iconic neighborhood-rattling cannon, right to the Banks family’s heart tugging, highflying, moving closing outing in the park.
In between, there are fresh plot story lines and all new musical numbers, even though one did sort off pay tribute to the chimney sweep musical act.
Directed by Rob Marshall, the movie benefits from gorgeous. lush production design, delightful musical numbers, well produced animated sequences and a lovely sense of whimsical sincerity. The result is an often rollicking and entirely enjoyable romp, fresh or not.
Emily Blunt recreates Mary Poppins and channels Julie Andrews, with a little more sass. Instead of showing up at the perfect time to nanny the young Jane and Michael Banks, this time she shows up the young children of the now grown Michael Banks (Ben Whishaw).
There will only be one Julie Andrews, but Emily Blunt is the perfect stand-in in Mary Poppins Returns, no one could have recreated this role better.
Joining the ride this time, instead of a limber limbed chimney sweep named Bert with an iffy Cockney accent (Dick Van Dyke) is a limber limbed lamplighter named Jack with an iffy Cockney accent (Lin-Manuel Miranda). And instead of dancing on rooftops, he leads the children and Mary Poppins through the London fog.
You can watch the Banks children and Mary Poppins go on a magical adventure in theaters December 19th, 2018.
